Chapter 684 What kind of Indian cool story is this?

Lorne was slightly stunned, and then he remembered where Boros's fear came from.

——Caste system!

After the Aryans invaded India, in order to maintain the rule of the slave empire, they divided human beings into four classes according to bloodline, skin color, race and status.

The first level is Brahmins, who were born from the mouth of the original man. They are mainly religious nobles. They have the privilege of interpreting religious scriptures and offering sacrifices to gods, as well as the right to enjoy dedication. They are also responsible for presiding over education and monopolizing culture. They are known as the spokespersons of God and have the highest status.

The second level is the Kshatriyas, who were born from the arms of the original man. They are mainly military and administrative nobles, obeying the will of the gods and governing the country. Therefore, they have the privilege of collecting various taxes, ruling the army, and protecting the Brahmin class and the gods from generation to generation.

The third level is the Vaishyas, who were born from the legs of the Original Man. They are ordinary Aryans with no political privileges but a certain status. They mainly support the country through business and taxation.

The fourth class is the Shudras, who were born from the feet of the original man. Most of them are conquered indigenous people, non-Aryans, and are composed of servants, craftsmen, cooks, etc. They are the most populous caste.

In addition, there is another kind of "untouchables" who are not included in the list at all, that is, "untouchables", called "Dalits". They are actually criminals, without any rights, even the right to reproduce is deprived, so they are trampled under the feet of [original people], equivalent to lowly and dirty mud.

The above are all mentioned in the ancient Indian book "Rig Veda: Gita".

Such a system with clear class divisions will inevitably lead to an obvious consequence, that is, strict class gaps and lack of mobility between classes.

Generally speaking, low-caste people in India who pretend to be high-caste people may face serious consequences such as violent persecution, social death and legal punishment. Such behavior may also trigger mental stress at the level of religious beliefs.

If things go wrong, you might even be executed in the street by the upper castes.

And if Boros really came from a family that raised peacocks, then considering his slightly darker skin color than the locals, he was most likely just a Shudra of the fourth level.

But in his description of Alexander, he was a down-and-out prince from the Age of Gods in India, a first-class Kshatriya.

Now, how could Boros not be afraid when his lie about impersonating his boss was exposed in public by his boss's boss?

As an Indian who has the caste system engraved in his bones, the fact that he could still speak fluently and beg for mercy at this moment proved that he had a good psychological quality.

Luo En figured it all out and smiled and comforted him:

"Don't be nervous. It's outdated to classify people by bloodline. The Empire doesn't do that. So, your previous identity and status are not important. What matters is that now, you have made many military achievements for the Empire with your talents and knowledge, and have been appreciated by Alexander and the Pantheon. You now have your own land and subordinates, and have become a true Kshatriya!"

When Boros heard these warm words, the fear in his heart was immediately replaced by a warm feeling.

This gentleman is indeed as the rumors say, wise, intelligent, and kind to others. Any life around him feels like a spring breeze, and feels a kind of submission and worship from the bottom of their hearts.

But the more this happened, the more ashamed Boros felt:

"I'm sorry, sir, I deceived you."

"So, shouldn't you confess and tell me your true story?"

[God] winked and extended an invitation to [sinners].

Boros nodded quickly and told his original experience.

His real name was Chandragupta, and his surname was "Peacock". He came from a family that had made a living by raising peacocks for generations.

When he was a teenager, he was almost executed by the King of Magadha because he offended the nobles with his language.

In order to avoid punishment, he set out from the Punjab region and traveled overseas to seek refuge. After a life-and-death struggle, he arrived in a foreign land and happened to meet Alexander who was leading his fellow cavalry to attack the city.

At that time, the high-spirited Alexander did not pay any attention to the young foreigner outside the battlefield, but Chandragupta was deeply shocked by the heroic figure of the conqueror galloping on the battlefield.

At that moment, an impulse arose in his heart.

So after the war, he took the risk of angering the foreign general Ya and being executed, and took the initiative to recommend himself, hoping to join the other team and serve them.

In order to make himself more valuable, he lied that he was the descendant of a prince of the Nanda dynasty and the illegitimate son of a maid, and that he was persecuted and drifted here.

Alexander did not doubt, or rather, did not care. He generously invited Chandragupta to join his team and gave the foreign prince a Greek name - Porus.

Poros cherished this opportunity very much. Not only did he fight fearlessly, but he also took Alexander as his role model and teacher, and frantically absorbed all kinds of knowledge about marching and fighting.

In this way, through step-by-step efforts, he has reached his current position and has become a general with rich combat experience. Even Seleucus, a favorite general under Alexander, favors this motivated young man and marries a daughter to him.

——Then, you took the war experience and military coordination techniques you learned from Alexander, first pacified the Magadha Kingdom that expelled you, and then defeated almost all of the dozen or so countries in India, large and small, and established the prototype of the [Maurya Empire]?

——What kind of Indian cool novel is this?

Loen looked at Boros, who was lowering his head and looking pleasing in front of him, and felt deeply moved by the wonders of history.

He shook his head secretly and asked:

"By the way, since you are not lying about your Indian identity, why don't you tell me about the situation of the various human countries in the Indian Age of Gods?"

"There are 16 powerful countries coexisting, fighting every day, it's very chaotic..."

Boros smiled bitterly and told the information he knew.

Due to the continued oppression of the caste system, the insatiable exploitation of the Aryan Brahmins, and the mutual attacks among the major Hindu sects, opinions and interests in various parts of India were highly inconsistent, and as a result, fierce physical exchanges took place between countries.

After a long and brutal elimination round, there are now about 16 countries that have become the winners, controlling most of India's wealthy areas.

They are: Magadha, Vajja, Kashi, Kuru... and so on.

In addition, there are some small countries scattered around.

In short, it’s a mess with just one word: chaos.

The division is so severe that it is even more chaotic than the Five Barbarians and Sixteen Kingdoms of China. No wonder India is considered a geographical concept rather than a national concept.

Luo En shook his head and asked casually:

"Have you ever heard of Kapilavastu?"

Boros thought hard for a long time before he slapped his head and said:

"You mean the territory of the Sakya clan?"

To be honest, for the Indian Age of Gods, this country’s presence is too low.

On the one hand, the location of Kapilavastu was basically beyond the jurisdiction of the Indian Gods Age and was a barren and barren land.

On the other hand, the national strength of Kapilavastu was very weak. The main body of the Sakya clan lived in 10 towns, including Kapilavastu, Devadatta, Chetou, Shemi, Kumatusha, Shizhu, Milule and Sanlangla. The territory was approximately 2,666 square kilometers, which is approximately equal to the area of the Greater Taipei area of Taiwan Province.

Even more unfortunately, there are many powerful countries clustered around Kapilavastu, which means that such a small place can only try to pretend to be invisible and live in fear every day.

Luo En nodded and said, "It should be there. I want to go there for a walk. Please help me lead the way."

"As you command, sir." Boros responded solemnly.

Then he jumped on his horse and led the way without saying a word.

Although I don't know why this gentleman is interested in such a remote small country in the Indian Age of Gods, as a qualified subordinate, it is very important to control my curiosity.

Don’t ask questions that you shouldn’t ask.

~~

Two months later, Kapilavastu, the royal capital.

At noon, the Kapilavastu city was steaming with heat waves, making people feel dry mouth and tongue even after drinking a few buckets of well water, and their internal organs were being cooked little by little by the scorching sun.

Under the Bodhi tree in the distance, a young man is enjoying the cool air.

He was as tall as a sal tree, and his skin was as translucent and radiant as fresh snow. He wore a loose white linen robe, with a gold belt inlaid with sapphires around his waist. When he walked, his sleeves fluttered like clouds. His black curly hair was tied up with a wreath, and a dot of cinnabar on his forehead set off his slender golden earrings. He exuded a gentleness and compassion from the inside out, like a gem with a restrained edge.

But at this moment, the young man's face showed a bit of sadness, and he seemed to be in a bad mood.

His original surname was Gautama. He was the prince of King Suddhodana of this country and belonged to the Kshatriya caste. His mother, Lady Maya, was the daughter of King Devi of the neighboring Koli tribe. Due to dystocia, his mother Lady Maya died seven days after giving birth in Lumbini on the way back to her father's country. He was raised by his aunt and his childhood was not a happy one.

Even more unfortunate was that the Kapilavastu kingdom where he lived was a small and weak country surrounded by powerful enemies.

Almost as long as he could remember, wars had never stopped around Kapilavastu.

Killing and being killed, conquering and being conquered have almost become the norm.

Everything is just to prove one's faith to the gods and to gain more fame and fortune.

It’s okay for the descendants of gods who have transcended their mortal bodies, but ordinary people will suffer.

No matter whether one is male or female, beautiful or ugly, high or low in status, strong or weak, in the end one will inevitably become a handful of earth.

With this realization, Gautama felt more and more that life was difficult and that all people were drowning in a sea of suffering woven by disasters and desires, with no way to be liberated.

Therefore, in order to seek spiritual peace, he left the royal city and took two ascetics, Alarakala and Uddalamaputra, as his teachers, and learned meditation from them, hoping to eliminate external disturbances and achieve inner peace.

However, no matter how he meditated, the sounds of crying, shouting, and wailing continued to enter his mind, making him think of his fellow sufferers as soon as he closed his eyes, and he could never find true peace in his heart.

So, in this world ruled by gods, where is the path to salvation for humans? And how can we find it?

The more Gautama thought about it, the more confused he became. Looking at the numb and empty faces of the people in the city, he sighed heavily.

"The elephant is startled! The elephant is startled!"

At this moment, the elephant keeper's cry of surprise was heard from the sand next to the elephant stable.

It seemed that the weather was too hot. A mad elephant named "Snow Mountain" broke free from the chains with red eyes. Its thick tusks broke the wooden fence and it rushed towards a flower girl carrying a basket on the street.

There was a faint gleam of water floating in her jar of flowers.

Apparently, that was the mad elephant's goal.

But at this moment, Hua Nv was so frightened by the giant elephant that she stood there in a daze, like a sieve.

The dust kicked up by the elephant's trunk had already hit the girl's face. The people around were afraid of being implicated, so no one dared to step forward to stop the mad elephant, and they had already fled in all directions.

A tragedy is about to happen.

"careful!"

At this moment, Gautama under the Bodhi tree rushed out of the shadows without hesitation, and stood in front of the mad elephant with courage and willpower beyond ordinary people.

It must be stopped!

With only this one thought in his mind, he suddenly raised his hands, grabbed the elephant's trunk with his left hand, supported the elephant's belly with his right hand, and cracked the ground with his feet. His robes suddenly fluttered like clouds.

"Get out of here, you beast!"

With a thunderous roar, he threw the giant elephant weighing more than ten thousand pounds over the towering palace wall of the royal city like a pottery jar, and fell into the moat outside the city with the lightness of a lotus falling into the water, causing ripples.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince! It was Your Highness the Crown Prince who saved us!"

Some sharp-eyed Sakya people in the crowd recognized Gautama's identity and couldn't help but cheer excitedly and admiringly.

Gautama suppressed his doubts, smiled and waved his hand, calming the restless crowd.

Then, he leaned over to pick up the basket of flowers scattered on the ground, looked at the frightened little girl in front of him gently and said:

"Little girl, I bought all these flowers for you. I was scared today. Go home and have a rest early."

As if infected by this gentle temperament, the little girl's pale face gradually turned rosy. She nodded obediently, then turned around and ran into the crowd.

The matter was resolved satisfactorily, but...

Gautama looked down at his hands and the ground beneath his feet, which had been stepped on and had a several-meter-deep pit, with a look of confusion on his face.

I'm just a mortal who has learned the skills of a warrior. When did I become so powerful?

Just when he was puzzled, the great power in his body that could crush a mountain in an instant suddenly dissipated and flowed somewhere in the crowd.

Gautama turned around and saw a young man standing under the Bodhi tree where he was before, waving at him with a smile.

Behind him, a man and a woman stood respectfully, like two subordinates doing their duty.

Gautama was thinking about something, so he took the initiative to step forward and asked:

"Looking at your attire, you don't look like members of the Sakya tribe?"

"We are from Punjab. This is my master, a great Jain who happens to be practicing here recently."

Boros, who was in charge of the negotiations, took the initiative to step forward and introduce himself to Gautama.

The power of spiritual practice?

Gautama's eyes lit up, and he put his hands together and asked:

"Master, I have recently been trying to calm my mind through meditation to seek liberation, but why can't I do it? Please help me understand."

“Meditation can resolve issues in one’s mind, but can it resolve issues in the world?”

"What do you mean?"

"You think about the world, and you see all living beings. But here there is constant killing, injustice is rampant, and all people are sinking into the sea of suffering. Even if you close your eyes, can't your heart see it? If your heart is not peaceful, how can you calm down?"

After hearing the answer from the person in front of him, Gautama suddenly became enlightened.

But at the same time, the sadness on his face became even more intense.

As this master said, there are too many people suffering in this world. Even if he doesn't look at them, how can he not think about them?

Luo En looked at the dilapidated royal city and the numb-looking Sakya people, and couldn't help but shook his head and sighed:

"Meditation and concentration, this method is nothing but vulgarity and light. It is like a small boat sailing on the river. It can only save oneself, not others, let alone the deceased, and cannot cure the world's major diseases."

Gautama was a little disappointed at first, but then he seemed to have thought of something, his eyes lit up, and he looked at the figure in front of him:

"How can I use the Mahayana Dharma to save all sentient beings? Master, please teach me!"

Hooked!

A barely perceptible smile flashed across Luo En's eyes, and then he put his hands together and said:

"I don't dare to teach you, let's just treat it as a mutual confirmation of what we have learned."

——As expected of a master, he always maintains a humble and pious heart like an apprentice.

Gautama was deeply moved and had even greater respect for the person in front of him. He then sat upright under the Bodhi tree.

A debate about [salvation] begins.

(End of this chapter)